What Can Children Teach Us About UX Design?

I was browsing the internet just a couple of days ago and I came across this really interesting blog (and YouTube video) about what children can teach us grown ups about UX design. Pretty captivating title huh? So I made a promise to myself to share that blog on this little space here whenever I got the chance to do so. And without wasting any more time, I'll jump right on it.

If you’re lacking time to spend a half hour watching the episode then don’t worry, here’s a summary. {The blog is originally posted by Bryony Watson who is an Online Marketing intern at Usabillia}

Sigh

Sigh…where do I start? It’s been so long since I sat down to put up a post but in my defense, I think about you guys all the time! That doesn’t help much right? Well, the past couple of weeks have been crazy! I knew they would be just not to this extent! And if that is already the case, I can only imagine that things will keep on getting harder as the days go by. Sigh, the plot thickens….

Source

So I thought I should put this one up to first let you know I am still alive, I am doing good albeit tired and overworked and to also thank you for the page views the blog still gets despite being inactive for so long. I know most of them are for the readers who are looking for new content on the site so my apologies for coming up empty most of the time. 

Sigh, please bear with me.

Work At DUMA {FrontEnd Developer}

If you are passionate about elegant user experience and sleek design as you are about clean code and product development and you feel an irresistible urge to inspect and optimize the code of every new web site you come across and criticize their unclosed divs and inline JavaScript then you are probably the right person for this job!

DUMA Works is building a world-class job matching system and they are looking for a skilled and experienced frontend developer to help them get there. As a frontend developer at DUMA Works you’ll be part of a product development team where you’ll help define, design and develop the future of DUMA Works.

UI Tenets + Traps {Part 2}

I have come to terms with the fact that procrastination will probably be the death of me! Well…that’s if an airplane doesn’t land on my head due to my annoying habit of always having earphones on when I’m just walking about the city and its numerous superhighways. But that is a story for another day.

However, I really hope there is a remedy for this procrastination habit that I have recently acquired because if it continues to escalate I’m going to get in real trouble and not just with my readers! I had promised in the first UI Tenets + Traps post that I will do a follow up on it therefore, albeit late, here is an elaboration on how to use UI Tenets + Traps. 

Google EMEA Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship

As always, I come bearing good news! Well...at least for the ladies. Hehe! It is that time again where applications for Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship open up and university students in EMEA are eligible to apply!

Reblogged from the Google Student Blog

The Google EMEA Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship honors Dr. Anita Borg who devoted her life to encouraging the presence of women in computing. The scholarship is open to current female undergraduate or graduate students who will be studying at a university in Europe, the Middle East or Africa for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Brief Recap: Google UX MasterClass

My friends are starting to think I sound like a broken record because every time I come back from an event and they ask me how it was I always say something like “It was awesome! You really missed out!” Even with that said, I will still not make an exception this time around and I will go ahead and iterate those very words when it comes to describing the Google UX MasterClass event which went down this past weekend because as you guessed it…Yes! It was awesome! If you weren’t there you really missed out!

But I am that person. That guy! So instead of just telling you how awesome it was, I thought it would even be better if I showed you. I didn’t have time to go about taking a bunch of photos as the two day event was fully packed with marvelous activities. However, I hope that the few that I have will go a long way in providing the 1000 words that this post will obviously not have.

UI Tenets +Traps

I've been having a huge debate in my head for the past couple of weeks on how I would best deliver this topic to you guys. This is because it is based on a training that was held at the +iHub UX Lab at the +iHub but I never managed to attend it due to prior commitments. However, I was given a number of flashcards that they used during the training and to be honest, I found them easy to understand once I went through them. 

So the big question was whether I could be able to explain the cards in such a way that everyone else would as well. My biggest fear here is misleading everybody here. I wouldn’t want that. Not at all! With that said, I thought the best way to start this discussion would be to give an introduction of some sort on what UI Tenets + Traps is all about then go ahead to explain the cards one by one in later posts. Cool?

Just Checking In {Part III}

Howdy,

Have you ever reached that point your life where you feel like having 24 hours in a day is not enough for you to accomplish all that you need to but what your heart desires is to crawl into a cave and sleep all day? I think it is safe to say that I am there! I am generally not the kind of the person that just gets by without being cautious of deadlines but nowadays, I always find myself on that last minute vibe. Whoa!

Anyway, I thought I should begin this month’s posts with the third edition of the ‘Just Checking In’ series and let you in on a few things that I have been up to or will be up to. Find the other two posts in this series here and here.

The Notebook

A carpenter is only as good as his tools, or so the saying goes. However, this phrase doesn't apply to the woodworking trade only. The same has also been used for mechanics as “a poor mechanic blames his tools” and this time round, I would like to use it for designers as well. And what this phrase simply means is that if one really cares about their work, then they ought to invest in their tools.

Before going into app development, it is important for designers to get all the necessary tools together to avoid wasting time and money on improper technology. One of the cheapest and most effective tools that one can invest in before thinking of all the available software out there is a quality notebook!

Of Fast Wi-Fi And Decent Coffee

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to forgo the luxury of a decent cup of coffee just because the café in question had one of the best Wi-Fi connections in town? I have! The converse is also true because sometimes your body just craves the taste of an excellent latte or cappuccino but as much as the said drinks tantalize your senses and leave you with afterthoughts of ordering ten more liters, the management of that particular joint probably never heard of an ISP.

Image Source

A research was actually done about it and it turned out that when people go out to coffee shops, they look for free and fast Wi-Fi and overlook the actual taste of the coffee that the shop offers! I don’t blame them. I totally get frustrated by slow internet! And on that note, you should see me now. Aaargh!

Reflections: Lessons From My First Website

I can’t help but chuckle a little bit whenever I look at the first website I ever developed or at least what is left of it. To say it was unrefined, rough and crude is sort of an understatement. However, looking at the kind of projects I have made overtime and comparing it to that first website it is evident that I have progressed. Started from the bottom, now we are here kinda thing.

I made that website for a 2^nd year unit and at the time I was indeed very proud of the outcome considering I had no prior knowledge in web development. Computers were solely for music and movies and the occasional word document assignments at that point in my life. However, with a little persistence and a bunch of help from some good friends of mine, I managed to produce something.

Random Facts About Me

Hey guys,

A couple of days ago, there was this fad over on Instagram where people were tagging each other and a tag meant you had to share around 20 random facts about yourself. I was having so much fun reading other people’s random facts and never at one point did I think someone would wanna know mine. I mean I already have this little blog here, so I have pretty much said everything right? Wrong!

One +June Tessy nominated me for it and I tried to cunningly escape the obligation by telling her that I will do it sometime later. This was until yesterday when we met face to face and she reminded me about it. I had almost forgotten. Well…I tried to. But with +George Kamau also tagging me on his post it was kinda impossible to do it. Hehe!

#gDaysKe14

As much as the weather was gloomy this past Saturday, the colorful #gDaysKe14 event quickly warmed up the ambiance and raised the spirits of all those who attended. And that in itself will go a long way to try and explain why days later, I am still hung up on that particular occasion. Yes, that is how good this past weekend was!

The event kicked off with the keynote speech from the one and only +Elijah Kitaka {Google}. He shared with the audience some of the cool opportunities that are available at their disposal, including the UX MasterClass which I shared with you here.

Google User Experience Masterclass

Reposted from the Google Africa Blog.

If you are intrigued by the world of User Experience and Design like I am, then this is definitely the post you should be checking out.

This October, designers from the UX team at Google will be visiting Sub-Saharan Africa to conduct a 2-day, hands-on user experience masterclass in Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos. Attendees at the masterclass will learn the process of taking an idea from concept to launch, including sketching, user testing, prototyping, and the importance of making continuous improvements to keep your users engaged and satisfied. It will cover interaction and visual design pattern including Material Design. The masterclass will be conducted with in collaboration with Flow Interactive {Cape Town}, the +iHub {Nairobi} and the Pan Atlantic University {Lagos}

Intel Inter Universities App Challenge

This is a follow up post from the Intel Hacks by KU post that I wrote about last week {Check it out here}. I had mentioned that I will tell you about it, so here I go…

The Intel Inter University Native x86 Android App Challenge 2014 will be held at the University Of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus on the 26^th Day of September. This is another opportunity for students who are app developers to compete and grow their skills in a fun and interactive setting!

Hello September!

Good morning September,

If it’s September then you know what it is… I am really excited about this month because with it comes a lot of amazing things. Or maybe this is just me being a tad bit too optimistic but it is birthday month so that in itself makes this month the best thing since sliced bread!

So mine is just to wish you a good month ahead and to remind you of the things I like {cake, gadgets, cats, ankara, jewellery etc.} in case you were wondering what kind of gifts to get me. Haha!

Intel Hacks By KU { Upcoming Event }

Hey guys,

Another Intel Hackathon is here with us! And I am super stoked because this particular one is taking place in my school, that is, Kenyatta University and just a day after my birthday! Can I hear a double whoop, whoop? No?

So if you are interested in Android development and putting your coding skills to the test in such an environment is your thing, then the date to save is 19^th September, 2014 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the C.I.T Department. Participants will be required to develop Native Android apps in groups of three {Groups to be formed right before the event begins}.

Intel AppThwack Testing Day

Is it just me or is the Nairobi weather awfully confused? In the early morning it is freezing cold, a couple of hours later it is sundress season, late in the afternoon rooftops are being blown away by the strong winds and in the evening it is shower hour and no place to shelter cause the roofs were blown away! What is up with that? It is August! It is supposed to be sunny. I want a reversed Global Warming thingy to take place. Somebody? Anybody?

 Anyway, my weather rants aside. This is a quick post for anyone in the area or anyone who can make it to the area for this ongoing event. Intel is currently holding an AppThwack testing day at the +iHub Community space, fourth Floor of the Bishop Magua building off Ngong Road. The event is about testing apps on Intel-based Android devices.

G|Days Kenya 2014

Hey there,

In the past couple of months, I have had a lot people ask me what happened to the G|Days Kenya event that I was ranting so much about in this post. Well…I am here to tell ya’ll that you don’t have to wonder anymore. Phew! This is because the event has finally materialized and now you will have a date to bookmark, yeey!

G|Days Kenya is a community organized conference with the mission of building an ecosystem of top developers, business/decision makers and students in Kenya. The event this year will be powered by the GoogleDeveloper Groups, Google Business Groups and the Google Student Ambassadors. To understand more about what the event is all about, read here.

BarCamp Nairobi 2014 - Who’s Your Data’s Daddy?

When I see how quickly the tickets to this event are selling out, I cannot help but feel like I should have posted about it sooner. However, there are still more remaining so all hope is not lost.

This will be the 8^th edition of the Barcamp Nairobi which is Nairobi’s premier technology event and it will be held on Saturday, 30^th August, 2014. Barcamp is produced by Skunkworks Kenya – a disruptive collective of Kenya’s best looking and best skilled techies and it will be jointly hosted for the second year by +iHub, Nailab and m:Lab East Africa at Bishop Magua Centre, Ngong Road.

Google Developers Group, Nairobi Meet-Up.

Before I forget, there is one more post for the road. +GDG Nairobi will be holding their usual monthly meet-up tomorrow from 9:00 am {GMT +3} at the +iHub.

If you are in the area, you are welcome to drop by and get involved in the day’s activities. The main agenda will include special twists in implementing essential platforms on the Google cloud and gaining some serious ninja skills as the series of getting sharp on the Google Cloud Platform begins. 

C4DLab ICT and Innovation Forum. { Public Review Of 'Umoja Kenya’ }

In case you were wondering what I was up to yesterday, here is a small brief. Hehe, actually chances are you weren’t wondering about that one bit, but I will just go with my earlier assumption that you were.

Yesterday was a fun day for me. I took a day off my usual work (everybody’s been doing that this week so don’t look at me like that hehe) to attend the C4DLab ICT and Innovation Forum which took place at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus. This event was sponsored by Google Kenya and beautifully planned and executed by +WaridiEvents. And I am proud to be associated with both!

Jackie's Script Turns One!

It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since I started this blogging project. As I mentioned in my first post, I started it because I felt like there was a lot I needed to share with the world and the limited 140 characters in other platforms did not fully allow me to speak my mind.  And 76 posts later, I can say I think I did just that!

I have shared some good and happy times with you, let you in on what I am up to, the events I have attended, my personal life and other things that I wouldn’t know how to categorize. Hehe! It has been a good journey so far, and I hope it will even get better as the New Year begins for this blog. 

Desiderata: The Voice Of Design

I had to learn about Desiderata the hard way. And nope, I am not talking about the 1927 Poem although if you know it you are in a better position to kinda understand what I will be going on about in the next couple of sentences because the poem refers to ‘desired things’.

"Change in the world can be initiated in two ways. We can act because we want to move away from a situation we do not like, or we can act towards an imagined and desired situation. However, when trying to effect these changes, unfortunate situations arise where the common foundation in solving the existing problems is focusing on only that-which-is (description and explanation), verses that-which-ought-to-be (ethics and morality) without much consideration for that-which-is-desired (desiderata).

Be You Dot Com

Hey guys,

I thought I should end this month on an inspirational note. Well…kind of an inspirational note, hehe. This post was actually triggered by a conversation I remember having with an acquaintance of mine some time back.

He mentioned how he had noticed that I apparently do not have enough code stuff on my blog. Actually, “You don’t have any code stuff on your blog yet you are a programmer…” – Were his exact words. So I wasn’t taking him out of context when I iterated that story to a couple of friends of mine later that day. And he went ahead to suggest that I should try and post more content along the programmer/techie lines. Especially code.

August Kids Hacker Camp {Maker - Breaker Day}

Originally written by +Wachira Ndaiga and published by +Angela Okune both of the +iHub 

Kids Hacker Camp is week-long camp hosted at +iHub which is Nairobi’s Innovation Hub for the technology community. The camp is aimed at kids and teens aged 7 to 18 years, who are drawn to and interested in crafting, hacking, discovering and tinkering. The camp is envisioned and designed to provide an engaging platform on which children and teens can interactively learn, explore and build; spurring them to understand the world around them, analogue and digital. This exposure and tutelage will then go on to help them build skills in design/creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and self-confidence.

This edition of the Kids Hacker Camp focuses on System Thinking through Physical Computing. We believe that an understanding of how different agents within the environment interact will go a long way in helping the students learn about the world around them {Science}. The physical computing plugs in to provide them with an avenue to understand how one can purposefully interact with this environment for desired outputs, i.e. using hardware to sense, compute and actuate.

Android Developer Job Opportunity

Hey there,

I trust that you are all well. This is going to be one of those short and sweet posts so there is no need to go around in circles. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine earlier today and as it turns out, he is looking for an Android developer to help him with some applications that he is working on.

I would have jumped on the opportunity but at the moment my internship has me pretty occupied. Therefore, taking it on while still juggling other things on the side is something that might not allow me to give 120% to either of the projects. And I am not about that.

GSA Success Stories { #gsassaalumni13 }

Hey guys,

Words alone can’t describe what being a Google Student Ambassador has done for me. But I will try! Being involved in this program is by far one of the finest experiences I have had. It came to me at a point in my life when I really needed something to uplift me, something to distract me. And to be honest, I think it did more than that.

I expressed some of it in this post here and every time I read it or think about it, it’s as if a giant chopped onion is tossed in my eye! LOL! But they are definitely tears of joy. I have had fun as a GSA. And most importantly, I have learnt a lot. More than I ever expected. One of our most memorable events on campus was the Going Google Awareness Campaign. And my journey as a GSA became better and better since then! To pass on what I learnt through the numerous events we held and attended will always gave me great pleasure. And the fact that I am now an alumni will not stop me from continuing to do the same.

Google [ X ]: Solve For X

On Wednesday 16^th July 2014, all roads led to Nairobi University’s Confucius Centre (Education Building) for the Google [X]: Solve For <X> Nairobi event. This was an intimate event for a group of exceptional technologists, entrepreneurs, and polymaths-at-large to discuss and debate audacious science and technology proposals that could change the world. What we refer to as our X! Read here for more details.

 However, if you happened to walk in the room shortly after 4:00 pm during the individual introductions and you had no idea what the event was all about, you would have been slightly confused. Hehe, it was therefore wise to listen a little bit before sharing how you have a jilted past with some guy called Suarez who happened to bite into everything in the house!

Toggle ( );

Isn’t it amazing how one little function can change your entire life? Your code life that is. Just the other day I was bombarded with a lot of content on this site that I was working on. I am talking about almost 50 pages worth of information. Having worked as a content developer for over one year means I know what is involved in the process. So I am still in awe at how my client managed to come up with all that…

Anyway, back to my 'story'. So I was left contemplating exactly how I was required to make all those pages for this one website! That site would be so heavy. All those pages would probably take it ages to load on devices. Then again, I couldn’t just squash all that information on one single page because that would lead to one which is about 400 meters long! Trust me guys, I am not exaggerating!

She Leads Africa Launches Female Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition {$10, 000 Cash Prize For 1st Place}

She Leads Africa is a social enterprise ensuring that women are part of Africa’s growth story by helping female entrepreneurs gain access to the knowledge, networks and financing to build and scale strong businesses.

They have announced the launch of a business pitch competition exclusively for female entrepreneurs, which will give the most promising female entrepreneurs in Africa a platform to connect to prominent mentors, business funding and new market opportunities.

B.T.W

First of all, I am really bummed today. Why you might ask…Well, to start with my last and final team remaining in the World Cup 2014 lost yesterday! This means that the only big win they might get out of this is the 3^rd place on Saturday after a head to head with the Samba boys. #Sigh! I had even painted my nails orange you guys. Orange! Then there is that bet I had made with my father…*Contemplating on skipping town* Anyway, you win some…you lose some. Yes?

By the way, the list is finally out! Yes!! The next Google Student Ambassadors have been selected. I am proud of one +George Kamau who will be taking on this role at Kenyatta University during the next academic year. He is a very good friend of mine. He mentored me during my job application at +WaridiEvents  and I got it a couple of months ago. Yeeey! And in this one I returned the favor where I could and he did it!

Congratulations. Looking forward to working with you despite the fact that I am totally jealous ya'll will be having your summit in Ghana! Hehe. Check out his application video here. {Ps. I made a celebrity guest appearance}

Just Checking In {Part II}

Hey guys,

It has been a while ey? But I hope that in that while you have been great! Well…I can’t complain either as this past week has been particularly kind to me unlike the other one where I got rained on and had a coders’ block for almost two days which might not seem like much until you realize certain deadlines have been pushed up. However, I managed to get everything done and I will hopefully share with ya’ll that bit of information soon.

In the spirit of the new month, I thought I should let you in on a few things that I have been up to. I will follow the trend that I used in this post, which was also borrowed from someone else’s post who in turn copied someone else. LOL, but that is the beauty of the internet :)

StartUpLand: A Documentary Series

Hey guys, how are you doing? I really hope it’s not too late to get the details for this event out there, but if you will still be able to make it despite my short notice, then my work here is done. 

Join your entrepreneurial community at +iHub to be among the first in the world to view the first episode of Startupland in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, World Bank, and UP Global.

Kenyatta University To Offer Paid Internships To Students

Most if not all of you have already reached that point in your lives where you have had the need to apply for a job, internship or an attachment of some sort. Am I right? That is something we all looked forward to! It felt ‘grown up’! But the excitement soon fizzles out into desperation and anguish when you can’t land such a placement after what seems like years of "tarmacking"!

You become known around the estates for carrying a large brown envelope filled with copies of you curriculum vitae! And if it’s not that, you are the person who will constantly live on the internet sending out emails and hoping to get some feedback. Even a negative response becomes very much appreciated because you know at least they had a look at your application.

LipaCard: Students Cashless Wallet

Guest Writer: +Victor Mutua 

LipaCard is Kenya's first ever financial service start up in the education sector handling students’ stipends, food, pocket and miscellaneous money.

We provide a debit card to students which allow them to pay bills at school and receive top up from parents and guardians real-time via mobile money or Bank deposits.

Error 404: Page Not Found

I just had to put this post up…in the spirit of the footie season. So my apologies to anyone who thought it was going to be a tech thing, the title just seem fitting {Well, I think it does}

So the big games start today! 11:00 pm EAT to be precise. We never thought this day would come. I remember it being about 300 days away and now we are talking about hours!! I am excited, I don’t know about you.

Google I/O Extended Viewing Parties

Hey everyone! As you all know by, the 7^th edition of the Google I/O is around the corner.  {And if you didn’t, I don’t know which hole you live in but well…now you do, hehe!}. It will be kicking off on June 25^th, 2014 and run through to June 26^th, 2014 in San Francisco, Moscone Centre.

What is Google I/O?

Every year, Google hosts a technology conference that aims at sharing new product ideas, platform innovations and interactive experiences with the masses. Google Input/Output features highly technical, in-depth sessions focused on building web, mobile, and enterprise applications with Google and open web technologies such as Android, Chrome, Google APIs, App Engine and much more.

Grace Hopper Conference {Google Travel Grant 2014}

Those who have been keeping tabs on all my blog posts know that this is not the first time I am talking about the Grace Hopper Travel Grant. The other time was last year and you can see that post here.

Well, the opportunity is presenting itself again this year and I thought I should briefly let ya’ll know in case you would be interested in applying. Or to remind you just in case you knew about it but had sorta forgotten. Again, sorry fellas…this is just for the ladies!

Google Nairobi Interview

Happy new month people!! Whaaat, is it just me or does this year seem to be on steroids! I mean, just the other day it was Christmas and I remember telling ya’ll about my new year resolutions, which by the way are not going so well, and now we are already halfway through the year! Crazy, ey?

One of the Google offices in the world

But hopefully you are having better luck with your resolutions. As for me, I already converted those ones into my bucket list. This way, I’ll actually have more time to do them. However, if visiting a Google office was on your list, especially after watching that awesome movie The Internship, then here is an opportunity to finally do it! And cross it off once and for all…

Intel Code for Good #IntelAndroid {Upcoming Event}

If you are interested in solving social problems then this is definitely the post for you. Especially if those solutions involve the use of software!

This is because the registration for the Intel Code for Good Hackathon is now open for student developers in universities. Developers need to form a group comprising of four participants and register through this link.

Technovation Challenge Local Awards

Yesterday, all roads led to the Michael Joseph Centre for the Technovation Challenge Local Awards. If you have been keeping up with my posts, (LOL, almost said ‘the Kardashians’), then you will know what exactly I am talking about. If not, see here and here and probably here too.

After an intense 12 week program, it was finally nice to see the competition culminate in a beautiful ceremony which saw teachers, journalists, business guys, varsity students, +Akili Dada mentors and high school pupils in attendance.

Doodle 4 Google Art Gallery

By a show of hands, how many of you have been to the Nairobi National Museum in the recent past? And no, I’m not talking about the primary school trip when you were in class five. See, I thought so. Very few!

It’s unbelievable how much we, as Kenyans, rarely tour our own land as much as tourists from other countries. I am also guilty of this! Just the other day, a good friend of mine went on a nature walk in Karura Forest and when she got back she couldn’t stop singing praises about the place. After seeing the pictures she took, I understood why. The land is so peaceful and tranquil and undisturbed. It is a place I would definitely like to visit.

Time’s Up, Pencils Down!

If this phrase is not familiar to you, then I don’t know which part of the universe you are from! But most importantly, I would love to relocate there. So can you please give me the directions?

Hehe, I am saying that because of all the emotions that one usually experiences when those words are uttered; feeling like there is much more you should do or add has to be the worst! Conversely, there are those good days where one can’t wait to hear them since they symbolize the end of that particular activity and hopefully the beginning of a better one. Especially if it is a Friday!!

AdCamp {Google Opportunities}

Those ‘Aaargh’ moments when you come across an amazing opportunity that you know (deep down in your gut) you would have sailed through but for one reason or another you fall short of a requirement! Anyone ever experienced such? Kinda like how I would make an awesome runway model but apparently my being 5 ft. 2 won’t let me prosper? No? LOL!

Well, the Google AdCamp is one such opportunity for me. As much as I would have loved to take part in it, currently serving as a GSA automatically makes me illegible to participate. Bummer! Would have really loved to go to Dublin or Poland! And the fact that it would have landed on my birthday only makes my pouting worse! Darn.

Life Lessons

I have never been a fan of chain messages or letters. Especially those that threaten one to share the contents with a certain number of people in a given span of time in order to escape a tragedy of some sort. Back in the day though, I used to get a couple of chills down my spine when I received such. And this forced me to quickly search my contacts for a list of ten - twenty people to forward the message to (depending on the requirements) so as to escape the big evil that would come to pass should I break the chain!

So there was a time I fell short of the requirements but when the stipulated time frame ended and all was well, I stopped caring! Such letters together with their curses and threats never got me perturbed me anymore. Or maybe that’s the reason I never grew taller?? Anyway, I believe my height is a blessing and I will stick with that! Hehe!

International Women’s Hackathon {Upcoming Event}

Hey there! How are you doing? I really hope you are all as peachy as I am. Is it just me or does everyone else have some sort of an oversleeping disorder when they have a lot on their plate but cannot seem to catch a wink when they have absolutely nothing to do? I had to literally "excavate" my head from the pillow this morning! Waaah, Aluta Continua! But I’m glad I did, because despite the rain, this is a good day.

Anyway, my awkward sleeping patterns aside; I came bearing something nice for the ladies! {And no, it’s not the new +Sauti Sol video that everyone is ranting and raving about! Ahem...Ahem} I am talking about the upcoming International Women’s Hackathon that is slotted to take place this month!

Just Checking In

I think there is no greater feeling for a scholar than the feeling of finishing the end of semester examinations. It is such an exciting emotion! I couldn’t stop myself from grinning from ear to ear when I finally handed in my last paper. The thought going through my head was just “I need to sleep!” Oh that and also the fact that I need to feed and gain back some of the ‘merchandise’ I lost because of pulling early mornings and late nights with little or no time for meals on most days. {I used merchandise because I wasn’t sure I was allowed to

say derrière (fr) over the internet! LOL!}

And because of my school work, I have really slacked on my writing this month but hopefully I can change that because I’m going for my holiday at long last. Yeey! So I thought I should put up a post just to let you know what I am up to and from your comments, I can also find out how you are faring on as well. I got the idea of how to write this particular one from reading another blog online. Hehe, I hope I am able to present it as well as I saw it.

Google Student Ambassador Program Application {Now Open}

Well…This post is so long overdue I’m even getting embarrassed putting it out here at this particular moment! But I did some soul searching this morning to find out why I was slacking off in writing this particular one and I think it finally hit me! You see this is a kind of bitter sweet post for me and you are going to find out why in the next couple of minutes.

I am glad to announce that the Google Student Ambassador Program application is now open! Ok, it has been open for a couple of weeks now and I apologize for not telling ya’ll about it sooner. Part of this delay is caused by my tremendous workload but apart from that I can attribute the delay to the fact that this application going live only means that my tenure as GSA is almost coming to an end! And that, my good people, makes me a bit sad :(

Africa Connected: Success Stories Powered By The Web

Hey there! I hope your past week and weekend were good. However, I can’t possibly use that adjective to describe mine as that would be the understatement of the century!! This past week was the illest, it was happening, it was on point and it was out of this world…extra-terrestrial!! LOL, okay you get the point!

I had told you about the Africa Connected Web Summit and Africa Connected Youth Forum that were to take place last Tuesday and Wednesday but if you didn’t catch that post you can check it out here. Well, they did happen and there was no way I was not turning up. I promised to share with you what went down and I’m going to do just that. I can’t possible put everything into words so I will leave a lot of it to the photos. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words anyway so.…  Anyway, stick around, won’t you?

Africa Connected Youth Forum

Hello folks! The last day of the month is finally here with us. Excited, No? Yes? Well, I am! Of course my excitement has something to do with a number of reasons but I will only share a couple with you...at least just for now.

Hehe! For starters, I had been looking forward to 1^st April, 2014 for quite some time now and if my memory serves me right that should be tomorrow! Yeey! This is because the tomorrow marks the day when the Africa Connected winners will be announced and non-other than yours truly will be in attendance :)

Map Your World {Part II}

Hey people! You good? Hehe, I was having a bit of a writers' block earlier this morning (I have been getting too many of those recently!!) but seeing that you are already reading this post, it means I managed to overcome it...Or at least I think I did!

This past Saturday was very eventful for me. I had the Google Mapping event and still had to attend to my girls in Mary Hill Girls' High School in the afternoon for the Technovation Challenge (See here, here and here). I really had to manage my time well so as to deliver on both ends.